Why you struggle to find cheap flights | Barry Burd | TEDxDrewUniversity

TL;DR

It is impossible to definitively find the lowest price for airline tickets due to the interdependent nature of ticket prices and the presence of mathematical impossibilities.

Transcript

okay um this talk is about things that are possible and things that are impossible it's about solving problems it's about trying to get the best solution to a problem and feeling okay when you don't it's about things as mundane as buying airline tickets but make no mistake I'm not going to give you advice about how to buy airline tickets don't call... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥺 Airline ticket prices for different legs of a trip are interdependent, leading to complexities in pricing.
• 😘 Skip lagging, the practice of booking longer trips and not completing all legs, can sometimes result in lower prices.
• 😘 The presence of self-reference, negation, and infinity in mathematical theories creates unsolvable problems in finding the lowest price for a trip.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why do airline ticket prices for different legs of a trip depend on each other?

Airline ticket prices for different legs of a trip are interdependent because airlines price their fares based on various factors, including demand and availability. By dividing a trip into separate fares, they can adjust prices for each leg based on the overall demand for the entire trip.

Q: What is skip lagging, and why do airlines dislike it?

Skip lagging is the practice of booking a longer trip with additional legs but intentionally not completing all legs of the journey. This can sometimes lead to a lower price for the desired destination. Airlines dislike it because it disrupts their revenue management systems and can result in empty seats on connecting flights.

Q: What are the factors that make it impossible to find the lowest price for a trip?

The impossibility of finding the lowest price for a trip is due to the presence of self-reference, negation, and infinity in mathematical theories. These elements create complexities and problems that are inherently unsolvable, making it impossible to calculate the absolute lowest price for a trip.

Q: How does the understanding of the impossibility of finding the lowest price for a trip help reduce guilt in travelers?

Knowing that finding the lowest price for a trip is mathematically impossible shifts the blame from individuals to the nature of the problem itself. This understanding allows travelers to approach flight bookings with a guilt-free mindset, knowing that they are not at fault for not finding the best price.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Buying airline tickets is a complex process as prices for different legs of a trip are interdependent and can vary based on other legs of the trip.

• Adding extra legs to a trip can sometimes decrease the price, leading to the practice of skip lagging, where passengers book a longer trip but don't complete all legs.

• The presence of self-reference, negation, and infinity in mathematical theories creates problems that are impossible to solve, including finding the lowest price for a trip.

• Understanding this impossibility can lead to a guilt-free approach to booking flights, as it is not the fault of individuals for not finding the best price.